There Will Always Be Hope
by KillingMeSoftly123
Summary: He pocketed the note and peered into the woven basket set on the floor in front of him. He tried to mask his surprise. It was a child. Or more accurately, a very young infant. Only a tiny sleeping face and a few wisps of dark hair were visible underneath the layers of swaddling. Alternate Summary: A Reylo Baby Fic #Reylo #Force Bond
1. Chapter 1

The words looked out of place on the dirty scrap of paper they were written on.

'Ben. Please. Bring her to Rey'. Leia Organa's signature was legible and elegant underneath.

He felt a flash of irritation at the use of his childhood name. He regarded the paper for another moment. He would have recognized the regal penmanship of his mother even without the signature. Fleeting memories of notes tucked into childhood lunch kits came to mind before he had a chance to suppress them. His hand closed, crumpling the fragile paper.

He pocketed the note and peered into the woven basket set on the floor in front of him. He tried to mask his surprise. It was a child. Or more accurately, a very young infant. Only a tiny sleeping face and a few wisps of dark hair were visible underneath the layers of swaddling.

What in the galaxy would possess his mother to send an infant to the flagship of the First Order?

—

He paused outside the room where they were holding Rey. He reached out lightly with the Force and tried to brush up against where he knew her mind to be. Nothing. He wasn't really surprised. She had become very effective at blocking him for the last year or so.

He was convinced that something had happened to her one day twelve months earlier when he felt the sudden loss of her Force signature. The bond between them became silent for the first time since it had begun. He scoured all of the channels he had available to him for information on her and her allies with little success. She was gone. The next few weeks were dark.

Reports of her filtered back to him slowly. He could see her clearly in the minds of rebel prisoners that were brought to him for interrogation. Through their memories he learned that she was indeed alive. She was still the active face of the Resistance. The new Jedi that had come to bring them hope. Even using all of his formidable skills, he could no longer feel any vestige of her remaining within the Force. He assumed it was temporary. She would not have the strength to hide herself from him for very long. It turns out he was mistaken. Not his first mistake when it came to her.

He put out a galaxy wide bounty to be paid if she was returned to him alive. Many assumed it was in response to the death of the former Supreme Leader Snoke. He didn't care what anyone thought. He just needed to find her.

She has been his prisoner on the Regency for three days now. He knew that the substantial reward on her capture would have paid off eventually. Greed is a strong motivator no matter what side you fought for. She was finally recognized at the Janis 4 outpost. While she didn't surrender peacefully, she didn't even attempt to use the Force when he arrived to collect her. She wasn't even carrying her lightsaber.

He nodded at the two knights of Ren stationed at her door and entered the sparsely furnished room. It was a dramatic step up from their usual prisoner accommodations. While it was heavily guarded and secure, it was clean and included a small ensuite for personal hygiene. He had it converted from an officer's residence, taking care to remove anything that could be used as a weapon or aid her in an escape.

She was on the small bed hugging her knees towards her chest. She looked very young sitting in her green leggings and cream-colored tunic. More like the frightened girl he remembered when he first met her. You wouldn't be able to tell by looking at her that she was one of the strongest Force wielders in the galaxy. Snoke had called her the light rising to meet his darkness.

She flicked her eyes towards him briefly, not hiding her contempt. She said nothing. He tried again to brush up against her mind using the Force. Nothing. Not even a glimmer of response. She was simultaneously blocking him from her mind and shutting herself completely off from the Force. Either option would require such an immense effort on her part that he was still surprised that she has had the power to do both so effectively for such a prolonged period of time. Frustratingly, she has also refused to speak to him at all since she arrived. He hasn't forced the issue. Yet.

"Rey." He said, moving to the centre of the room his black robes sweeping behind him. "I had an interesting communication from my mother today."

Her chin lifted so that she was looking at him directly. Rey knew that he rarely referred to General Organa as his mother.

He looked over his shoulder. "Bring it inside." He spoke in an authoritative tone befitting of the title he held.

His two knights brought in the basket and set it down beside him. Rey was up and off the bed before they even had a chance to take a step backwards. She moved so quickly that his guards reached for their weapons. Kylo waved them off and they reluctantly moved back into position just outside the doorway.

Rey pulled the infant up from its swaddling and cradled it against her chest. He could see tears running silently down her face as she appeared to breathe in the scent of the child. The sudden movement must have woken the baby up from her slumber. She looked up at Rey with an expression of confusion that quickly changed to recognition. The baby buried her face in Rey's neck.

And then suddenly he felt it. Although it was rudimentary and unrefined, the infant very clearly reacted to Rey within the Force. It was nothing more than a fleeting flicker of raw emotion, but it was there.

Shock radiated off his body. Rey had a child. He hadn't even considered that possibility when he first saw the infant sent by his mother. The thought of Rey allowing some rebel scum to touch her caused anger to boil inside of him. Tendrils or darkness of swirled within the Force. He clenched his fists and tried to maintain some sort of control.

—

Kylo Ren watched as the young woman moved the infant to the bed and removed her outer layer of clothing. The baby gurgled contentedly as her mother ran her hands down each of her limbs, examining them one by one. He had to admit she was a beautiful baby. As far as babies go he guessed. She had Rey's delicate features with wisps of dark hair that were just becoming long enough to curl slightly. Finally, content that the child seemed to be in one piece and in good health, Rey picked her up and held her against her chest once again. Rey kissed the top of her head and murmured comforting nonsense syllables, her relief evident.

Rey looked at Kylo over the top of her baby's head. "What is she doing here? How did you find her?" She said, her voice low and rough from days without use.

Kylo reached in his pocket and handed Rey the note his mother had written. "I didn't find her. She arrived much like you did that day on the Supremacy."

Kylo didn't need to use the Force to see the fury build inside the young woman.

"Leia sent her alone, in a transport pod, to the First Order?" Rey responded incredulously, her anger apparent. No, not anger, fury. He hasn't seen that kind of raw fury from her except the day they confronted Snoke and the praetorian guards. Together.

"She wasn't alone. She had a protocol droid with her."

"C-3PO? Where is he? I want to speak with him."

"He's been uncooperative. And just as annoying as I remember him. I've had him taken down to our programmers to see if they can obtain any useful information from him."

The baby, who had been fairly content until then, started fussing and rubbing her face up against her mother's tunic.

Rey made a shushing sound and started bouncing her gently. She looked at Kylo. "She needs to eat."

"I'm not sure what we have on hand for small infants. Women who have children are not allowed to serve on the Regency." He was completely out of his element. And still reeling from the fact that Rey had a child.

"I should be able to feed her myself. I've been trying to keep up my milk supply. Just in case..." Rey let her voice trail off. Obviously she had been hoping for a rescue by now.

Kylo looked at Rey and he couldn't help his eyes from slowly traveling down towards where the baby fussed against her chest. He knew he should offer to leave but he couldn't seem to tear himself away. After months of silence, she was finally talking to him again.

Color spread to Rey's cheeks as she reached down for one of the swaddling blankets in the basket. With a practiced maneuver she sat cross-legged on the bed and put the blanket over her shoulder. With the modicum of privacy in place, she loosened her tunic and allowed the infant access to nurse.

The baby stopped fussing immediately under the blanket. Rey smiled gently as the baby made small contented noises. The intimacy of the moment was not lost on him.

Once again Kylo could feel a tiny fluttering of emotion through the Force coming from the baby. He immediately reached out towards Rey to see her response but she was as closed off to the Force as ever.

He looked at her questionably. "She reaches out to you in the Force. Are you aware of it? Can you feel her?" He was curious to find out how detached from the Force Rey had actually become.

Rey's eyes welled up with tears. She shook her head once. "No. Leia told me she was Force sensitive though."

Kylo could see that it pained her to be cut off from her child this way. "Why did you do it? Why have you purposefully chosen to close yourself off from the Force?" It was unfathomable to him. To deny herself access to that amount of power.

Rey met and held his gaze. "You know why I did it." Emotion seeped into her words as she said them. The seconds stretched on as they stared at one another.

The events leading up to the loss of the Force bond replayed in his mind, as they had done for so many nights now.

He was the first to break eye contact. He took a step back from her. "She can stay with you... for now." He spun and exited the room closing the door behind him.

—


	2. Chapter 2

He returned to her room early the next morning. Dressed imposingly as Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order. Rey was sitting beside the baby who was lying on the bed. The infant was awake, fixated on the fluttering movements of her own hands. Cooing as she flexed and unflexed her own fists. Rey stood up when he entered and took a protective stance in front of the child.

"Do you need to wear the mask?" She asked.

He threw a bag unceremoniously at her feet. "This was in the transport vehicle," he said, his voice heavily modulated. He pressed the mechanical release and slid the mask off his face, revealing his features. With the mask off he noticed that the room smelled differently. A warm, milky scent that was foreign yet not unpleasant to him.

"Leia must of sent it," she said, obviously still furious with the older woman. "Your mother is not my favorite person right now."

"Well, she's never my favorite person," he said honestly setting the black mask down near the door.

Rey knelt down and rummaged through the contents of the bag. He had searched through it himself earlier. It was filled with tiny clothes and other baby items. It also contained some clothing for Rey and some nutrition packets designed for young infants. She took out a small stack of rectangular cloths.

"I'm sorry. I had to rip up one of your towels for her," she said. "For her messes," she continued when she saw the look of confusion on his face.

He nodded slightly. Not sure how he became in the position to be talking about bodily functions of an infant.

The baby began to fuss and started to squirm on the bed.

"What's wrong with it?" He said peering around Rey.

"Her," She said pointedly. "Nothing's wrong with her, babies fuss sometimes." She reached into the bag that Leia had sent and pulled out a small infant toy. It was simple in design. A carved wooden stick that was fitted with a colored ring that could slide up and down when manipulated.

Rey knelt down to the child's level, waved the toy in front of her and smiled. The baby stopped fussing and mirrored her mother's expression. Rey's smile deepened in response and she passed the toy to the baby who grabbed it tightly.

Rey stood up and turned back to Kylo. "Have you never been around a baby before?"

"No," he said simply. Rey watched him warily as he moved closer to where the child was laying. The baby caught sight of him. He would have been hard to miss while dressed head to toe in black clothing. The baby smiled at his unfamiliar face and dropped her wooden toy. It rolled out of her reach.

He reflexively picked it up. He spun it in his gloved hand, examining the craftsmanship before handing it back to her. She looked so vulnerable so the strength of her grasp surprised him. She smiled briefly, looking very much like her mother in that moment. She concentrated on her toy once again - but not for long. It was only minutes before her eyelids fluttered and started to droop. She blinked slowly a couple of times and fell asleep, still clenching her toy against her chest.

Kylo was surprised that she could fall asleep so quickly. He used the Force to lightly touch upon her mind and was immediately flooded with a symphony of light and emotions. There were fragmented images of her mother and other things he couldn't quite make out. An immature consciousness for sure yet it had similarities to what he remembered of Rey through the bond.

"Stop," Rey said sharply, intuitively picking up on what he was doing. "Stay out of her mind."

"Why should I? We both know you can't stop me without using the Force."

He continued, "I could take her from you, you know. She's Force sensitive. I could send her somewhere where you'll never find her. Have her trained with the Sith in the ways of the Dark Side." He paused and watched as her eyes filled with fury. "Perhaps I'll even train her myself."

Swirls of the Force radiated from Rey before she could let go of her anger enough to completely erect her shields again. The first inkling he's felt since she blocked him.

"Ahhh, there you are." Kylo smiled. "Why shouldn't I send her away? She's nothing to me." He reached up and ran a gloved finger down the side of Rey's face before she had a chance to turn away. "She's only a visual reminder of what you had with someone else." He clenched his fist as he withdrew his hand.

Again he could feel her rage trying to draw strength from the Force before she suppressed it.

"You're doing this purposefully," Rey said. "You're trying to get me to use the Force. Why?"

"First, tell me why you've given it up," he countered.

"Don't be cruel. You know why I had to do it."

"Say it," he said as their eyes met. Always a battle between them. "Say it," he said again softer this time.

Rey started to say something and stopped. She took a breath and tried again.

"Because I couldn't spend my days fighting you and my nights wanting you," she whispered. "It was too hard. Leaving the Force was the only way to get rid of the bond."

"I thought you died," he said. "You just disappeared." Anger, but also hurt, was evident in his voice. "I searched the galaxy for you."

"Ben... I'm sorry." Her voice cracked.

"You look as though you were really sorry," he said angrily. He glanced at the baby. "You seem to have gotten over it fairly quickly."

Rey shook her head. She exhaled in a small laugh. Almost as if she couldn't believe what she was going to say.

"She's yours."

He went completely still as he searched her face for answers. "It's not possible."

Rey looked pointedly down at the child sleeping beside her. "I beg to differ," she said sarcastically.

"No. We were only together once. Through the bond. It's not possible", He reiterated. "There must have been someone else."

"There was no one else." Rey moved so that she was standing even closer to him. She was so close he was able to feel her breath on his chin. It was warm and moist, causing goose flesh to rise on his arms. He was thankful for the long sleeves of his robe. He didn't want her to see the effect she was having on him.

She steeled her jaw and looked up at him. "There has never been anyone else."

And with that she opened her mind to him. The Force instantly surrounded her. She closed her eyes and took a slow breath, momentarily overwhelmed.

Two of his knights burst through the door of the room with their weapons blazing. They, too, were able to sense the change in the energy of the Force.

"Leave!" Kylo shouted, looking over his shoulder. He used the Force to slam the door behind them.

He turned back to her. She was looking down. Her breath was soft on his chest now. She reached up to place one hand on him, over his heart. Her fingers were barely touching him. His heart rate stuttered.

"Ben," she said looking up at him imploringly.

He tentatively tested the resistance to her mind. There was no resistance. She wanted him to see.

"Hope," Rey said softly. "Her name is Hope."


	3. Chapter 3

The images came to him in a flood of color and emotion. Kylo allowed her to control what he saw, only interested in the story Rey wanted to tell. He watched as she shuffled quickly through weeks of their Force bond visits. The days blending in with one another, blurred with the passage of time.

He saw the early days after Crait, where they didn't speak at all. Essentially ignoring one another in stoic protest. Hurt and anger clearly evident in their behavior.

It was hard to pinpoint the exact moment when things changed and they no longer met with open hostility. Bitter quips turned into stilted conversations. They avoided talk of the Resistance or the First Order. They said nothing about the battle in Snoke's throne room or the offer he had made to her afterwards.

Slowly their conversations became easier.

She brought forward a memory of the first time she laughed with him. She had made a sarcastic comment about the lack of color in his wardrobe. Her tone was light and she was smiling when she said it. Her smile had been contagious and he made an attempt to joke back with her. Something about the First Order needing to budget appropriately and that black fabric was cheap. Unlike his father, humor didn't come easily to him. She had laughed anyways, surprised that he made the effort.

She reminded him that a Force bond also brought embarrassment. They had learned to change their clothes quickly and have towels close by when they were bathing. But there was the occasional time when the bond caught them unaware. Awkward moments where one of them saw too much before turning away. Emotions could be masked but flushed cheeks and other physiological signs of attraction were harder to hide.

She brought him to their last night together.

He pulled out of her mind. He was very familiar with that night. He didn't need for her to show it to him again.

Rey reached for him. Her hand felt warm under the weight of his glove. "Ben, please. You need to see."

Whether it was the use of his given name, or the fact that she willingly reached out to touch him, he allowed her to pull him back into the memory.

She had appeared in front him late one evening. He was already in bed but he stood up and ran a hand through his hair when the Force signalled her arrival. He was not wearing a shirt, clad only in a pair of black sleeping trousers. She was also ready for bed. Her hair was down and she was wearing a loose, long sleeved sleep shirt buttoned up the front. Her legs were bare, her shirt coming to rest just below mid thigh.

Something had obviously upset her before she arrived. A single tear was suspended on her cheek. Without thinking he reached for her, catching the moisture with his thumb. His hand lingered and he allowed his knuckles to trace the outline of her face. He was not used to such tactile pleasure. Electricity crackled between them.

He brought his forehead down to rest against hers, offering comfort. Their breath mingled, warm against one another. Time seemed to slow. Hesitantly Rey ran her hands up the expanse of his chest coming to rest just above his shoulders. His heart rate increased as her fingers left a trail hot against his skin. She slowly lifted herself up the amount needed to touch her lips against his. The gentle caress of her mouth left him breathless. He pulled away, searching her face for hesitation or regret.

Her arms circled his neck pulling him closer and this time he pressed his lips against hers. Their tongues met as the Force pulsed around them. In time, he lifted his head to allow his eyes meet hers once again. He could feel blood pounding through every inch of his body. She whispered his name.

His arms encircled her and he lowered them the ground. She took a moment to unbutton her shirt but kept it on so she would have something underneath her. She wasn't wearing anything else. His heart quickened at the sight of her. He supported himself on his elbows above her and gently ran his thumbs through her hair marvelling at its softness. He knew she could feel his arousal; only the thin layer of his pants separated them. Eyes clouded with desire, she reached down to help him remove the last physical barrier between them.

Skin against skin they fumbled with the mechanics. The ground was hard and unyielding as the Force bond offered them little in the way of comfort. He brushed his lips up against the excited pulse behind her ear. _Tell me what you want_. He didn't speak the words to her, rather he pushed them into her mind using the Force.

She pressed closer to him, tracing the edge of his lips with her tongue. _You_. The simplicity of her response echoed in his mind. She guided his hips with her hands and brought him hard against her. He braced above her but took his time easing into her. His murmured sounds of pleasure mixed with hers as they found a natural rhythm. She rose to meet him thrust for thrust and it wasn't long before they reached their peaks together.

They clung to one another, breathing heavily after their release. Their minds were as joined as their bodies for that brief moment of time.

The moment was over far too quickly. The edges of their reality shimmered signaling the end of their visit. "Ben..." she whispered, as she disappeared from view.

His memories of her ended here. The following day was when he had felt her signature disappear from the Force.

He felt a gentle pressure as she pulled him into the present. He stared at her not saying anything. An uncomfortable moment. Over a year had passed since that night yet there were a lot of things left unsaid between them.

"I want to continue but I won't risk endangering the Resistance," she said. "If I feel you pushing beyond what I want you to see I will end it. I will not compromise their safety."

He nodded. He wouldn't have completely trusted her either if the situation were reversed. Her more recent memories were likely to contain more current information on the Resistance and their allies.

She brought him to a room that he knew must have been hers. Rey was there. Sitting on the floor with her head on her knees. She was no longer connected to the Force. Through her mind her could feel her fear. She had never felt so alone.

Time passes and she's in a medical bay. Generic in appearance, but similar to many others he has seen throughout the years. Rey was sitting down on the edge of an exam table. She was holding the results of her medical exam. He saw the words 'Pregnant. 12 weeks gestational age.' typed neatly at the top of her electronic chart. He heard Rey exclaim that incredulously it wasn't possible and that they needed to re-run the tests. Calm assurances from the medical staff that the information was accurate and that she was indeed pregnant and having a baby girl.

She was back in her room. He could feel how frightened she was. But he felt something else. Underneath her fear he could feel how much she already loved the baby. How much she wanted to protect her.

She bound her stomach as the pregnancy progressed to keep her condition a secret from the Resistance for as long as possible. She helped Leia run missions, only stopping as her condition became more obvious. Her friends eventually found out. The traitor. The pilot. Others that he didn't recognize. They all found subtle ways to ask her about the father. Rey simply told them that she was having the baby on her own. That the father wasn't in the picture.

Rey and Leia were back in the medical bay. Alone, Looking at a holographic image of a fetus in suspended animation. "She's beautiful," Leia said placing her hands on Rey's expanding stomach. "And I can feel that the Force will be strong in her." Leia smiled and continued, "Like her mother."

"And her grandmother," Rey answered, watching Leia's reaction. Rey knew Leia had suspected as much, but this was the first time that she had verbally confirmed it.

"Rey, did Ben..." Leia's voice broke. She stopped to compose herself. "Did my son force you..."

Rey interrupted her, shaking her head. "No." She grabbed Leia's hands and looked her in the eyes. "No, he didn't."

On the day of the baby's birth his mother was with her once again. She held Rey's hand and encouraged her as she struggled through the pains of childbirth. He saw the tears from both of them as the baby was finally born and took her first gasping breath.

The pride on her face was evident as she whispered her name to Leia. "Hope," she said.

"There will always be hope," Leia responded as she stroked the silky black hair of the infant.

—

The images faded and they were left staring at one another.

"It's true," he said as reality set in.

"I know," she said softly, moving closer to him and reaching for his hand. "I didn't believe it either."

The baby stirred and made soft grunting noises as she struggled to wake up. The adults turned their heads in a synchronized motion to look at her. Hope stretched her arms and blinked her eyes as they adjusted to the light.

Rey dropped his hand and turned towards her child with a look of absolute wonder on her face. "I can feel her," she whispered pulling the infant up to her chest.

"So can I," he said, observing them. Hope nestled her mother and grabbed a handful of her hair.

"Do you want to hold her?" Rey asked, gently untangling her hair from the baby's fingers.

"No," he said quickly. "I don't know how."

Rey smiled gently. "You won't hurt her. I'll show you. Sit down."

He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his fingers out of his gloves. "What if I drop her?" He asked. He was genuinely concerned.

"You won't," she said assuredly. "Besides, babies are stronger than you think."

She leaned over and placed Hope in his arms.

He held her awkwardly, his hands large against her small body. She was so tiny and helpless. He repositioned her slightly so that she was looking up at him. The baby didn't seem to mind. She reached out to grab a handful of the fabric on his robe. She made quiet happy noises. He felt a wave of unfamiliar emotion and passed the baby back to Rey.

He stood up in front of them.

Rey looked up at him. "What's going to happen to us?" She asked. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." He answered honestly.

He reached down to pick up his gloves from the bed. His fingers brushed against hers for a moment. Their eyes met as they touched, electricity still between them. He pulled on his gloves and the only sound was the electronic hiss of his mask as it slid back into place. He turned and walked out of the room.

—


	4. Chapter 4

He was training on one of the lower level decks. Trying to clear his head. Methodically going through the light saber forms taught to him years ago by his uncle. He knew other techniques now of course. The Sith and Snoke each had their own methods. But he always seemed to gravitate back to the old Jedi standards when he was alone. His movements were fluid as he wore only loose fitting black pants and a thin black tee shirt appropriate for training.

 _Ben!_

He stumbled and deactivated his light saber. His concentration was broken as Rey pushed into his consciousness. He could feel fear and anger through the connection between them.

—

Kylo reached her room slightly out of breath. He had sprinted up the many levels between where she was being held and the training area. Two of his knights were still in position outside of the room but the door was ajar. They immediately moved to the side to let him enter.

Kylo took in the scene before him. General Hux and about half a dozen storm troopers stood in front of Rey with their blasters pointed towards her. Hope was crying in her sleeping basket at the general's feet. Aside from infant's obvious agitation, she appeared to be fine. Rey stood at the other side of the room unrestrained, her fists clenched at her sides. Kylo doubted that they could restrain her. She was furious. Restrained or not, with Hux standing so close to Hope she was curtailed in her actions. Kylo knew Rey wouldn't risk the child's safety by lashing out.

"What is going on here?" He said loudly, his voice full of anger. He moved his hand automatically down to rest on his light saber. The storm troopers stood taller at his question. He demanded respect even if he wasn't wearing his full uniform of mask, cowl and robes.

"Supreme Leader. I was told that you were occupied and did not wish to be disturbed," Hux said challengingly.

Kylo felt the hairs on his neck bristle in irritation at the ginger haired man who was the head of the First Order's armed forces. Kylo wished again that he could simply kill the man. However, he knew that his hold over the military was still too precarious after the change in leadership. He still needed Hux. For now.

He looked at the storm troopers standing silently at attention in front of Rey. "Stand down," he ordered sharply, "leave us." Hux looked agitatedly at Kylo Ren but said nothing to contradict his order.

The soldiers lowered their weapons and jogged out of the room hastily. Rey watched the last of them leave and then she telekinetically threw Hux away from Hope with enough strength that he crashed against the far wall. Arm raised, she held him in place with the Force while she walked over to stand next to the baby. She glared at the general with unmasked fury.

Hux was suspended unnaturally against the wall. He was able to move his head slightly and he looked beseechingly at his leader. He realized that Kylo Ren was not going to intercede on his behalf. "Sir, I was hoping to gain some information regarding the location of the Rebel forces." He spoke quickly, his voice cracking. "I was wanting to see if the girl would be more cooperative if we were to withdraw her access to the infant."

Hux paused. "Seeing as your interrogation methods have not been successful as of yet," he added spitefully.

Kylo felt his patience disintegrate and he used the Force to constrict Hux's airway. He watched as the man started to turn a shade of red rivaling his hair color. Hux made quiet choking sounds.

"I am only going to say this once," Kylo practically growled. "This woman is my prisoner. I will decide how and when she is to be questioned."

He released his hold on the general's throat. The general took a gasping breath. Kylo nodded to Rey and she dropped Hux to the floor with a satisfying thud.

Kylo took a step forward and looked down at him. "And if you so much as look at her child again, I won't stop her from killing you."

Hux picked himself up gingerly off the floor. "Understood sir," he mumbled and he sidestepped quickly out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Kylo turned to face Rey. "Are you alright?" He asked, his voice low.

She nodded and bent down to pick up the baby who was sobbing in earnest by this point. She walked over to the small chair near the bed and unfastened her tunic. She sat down and put the baby to her breast murmuring softly. Rey stroked Hope's hair as the baby's sobs quieted and turned into soft hiccups as she nursed. The baby clenched one of her tiny fists and nestled it between her mother's breasts.

Kylo wanted to move closer, to see for himself that Hope was okay, but he was rooted to the spot.

Rey could sense his conflict. She smiled hesitantly at him. "You can come closer."

He glanced down to the infant nuzzled at her bare chest and quickly back up to her.

He couldn't hide the fact that he was obviously flustered.

She raised her eyebrows. "You've seen me wearing less than this," she said stating the obvious.

He took the two steps needed to close the distance between them.

He looked down at Hope. Her eyelids fluttered even though they were closed. Pale skin contrasted against the wisps of dark hair surrounding her face. He reached out and ran his thumb down the side of her cheek. For a brief moment the three of them were connected. Rey looked up at him and he couldn't deny the pull he felt towards them.

"I would have killed him if he touched her," he said softly, not wanting to disturb the baby. Their eyes met again. "Or you."

She broke eye contact first. "He hates you almost as much as he hates me. I could see it in his mind. He fears the Force."

"I can control him," Kylo said assuredly. "His body is as weak as his mind."

Silence fell between them as they watched the baby. Hope was drifting in and out of sleep.

Rey looked up at him again. "Since you're here, can I ask you for a favor?"

He nodded, wondering what she would demand of him.

She looked almost embarrassed. "I really want to have a shower," she said quickly. "I haven't had a chance to have one since she arrived. The refresher is too small to bring her in with me and I don't want to leave her out here alone. Especially now." Rey looked down at the baby. "I've always had someone around to help me with her if I needed it. Your mother helped a lot. I'm not used to doing this all on my own."

That was not at all what he was expected her to ask. "You want me to..."

"Watch her," she answered.

"I don't know how to take care of a baby."

"You just need to hold her. I won't be long and she'll most likely sleep the entire time," Rey said pulling the sleeping infant off her breast.

He averted his eyes but not fast enough. He caught a glimpse of naked skin and it caused his breath to catch as she readjusted her clothing. He concentrated on slowing the slight increase in his heart rate.

She passed the baby to him and he held Hope awkwardly against his chest.

"Relax," she said. "You won't break her."

He loosened his hold to allow Hope to slide naturally into a more comfortable position. She weighed practically nothing in his arms.

"Fine. Go. Before she wakes up."

—

Kylo stood in the middle of the room alone with the baby. He eventually moved over to the chair that Rey had vacated and carefully lowered himself into it. It was a tight fit. The chair was not built for someone his size.

Slowly the stiffness eased from his shoulders. The baby felt soft and warm on his chest. Sitting down, he was able to cradle her with one arm. Using his other hand, he reached up to feel the softness of her hair. He felt a small sense of satisfaction knowing that the color was from him. The rest of her was Rey. Even her Force signature reminded him of her mother.

The baby twitched in her sleep and stretched out her fingers. He lightly touched one of her hands, marveling again at how small she was. Hope reflexively curled her fingers around one of his and held on firmly. It took him by surprise, he was not used to voluntary touch.

Rey chose that moment to exit the refresher. "I just want to grab some clean clothes," she said as she entered the room. She stopped walking when she saw them. Her features softened.

He froze. She was wrapped in a very small towel. It barely covered anything. It was so small in fact that she had to pull it tightly just to encircle her. Her hair was wet and it fell loosely on her shoulders.

"Everything okay?" She asked. He eventually nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He pushed away any feelings of desire that he felt and purposefully focused on Hope. Rey rummaged around for a clean outfit. She ducked back into the refresher.

She was dressed the next time she entered the room. He watched her run her fingers through her hair pulling the knots out. "I don't have a hairbrush," she said by way of explanation. She pulled half of her hair up and fastened it in a knot. She dried her hands off on her leggings and reached for Hope.

"Thank you," she said pulling the baby towards her.

Kylo extracted himself from the chair. "Make a list of any items you require," he said, mentally adding larger towels to the list.

"How long will we be here?" she asked. "You can't keep us locked in this room forever," she said walking closer to him. "We're not safe. You know we're not." She put a hand on his chest. "I know you don't want anything to happen to us. I can feel it." She kept her hand on his chest and took another step forward. "Send us back to the Resistance."

He turned away from her and walked towards the exit.

"Ben..."

"Don't call me that," he said without turning around. "You know that's not who I am anymore." He opened the door of the room.

"I refuse to call you Kylo Ren," she countered. Rey moved closer to him. He could feel her breath on his back through his tee shirt. She stood up on her tiptoes and spoke to him softly behind his ear. "I know why Leia sent Hope here." Kylo stopped moving and braced his hand against the frame of the doorway. Rey continued, "Hope brings you closer to the light. I can see it when you're holding her."

He paused only briefly before stepping away. The door closed behind him.

He only made it two feet down the corridor before he stopped and slammed his fist into the wall.

—


	5. Chapter 5

He went to her room the next afternoon. He found her pacing inside, holding the baby. She rolled her eyes when she saw him dressed in his full uniform.

Kylo ignored her disdain in his attire. He turned his head towards the baby. "Do you have some way to carry her strapped on to you?"

Rey regarded him warily. "Why? Are we going somewhere?"

"Not far."

She took a moment to consider his request. He could feel her hesitation. The temptation to leave the confines of her cell must have outweighed her doubts in his motives because she moved over to rummage through the supplies Leia had sent her.

He watched as Rey efficiently placed Hope on her back with a long length of fabric. With practiced choreography, she looped the fabric around the child and tied the ends so that the baby was secure. She moved over to stand in front of him.

"Put them on," He said as he handed her a pair of regulation First Order handcuffs. His voice was cold and distorted. With his mask on, it was the voice of Kylo Ren. He knew she hated that voice.

"No!" She said indignantly.

Kylo sighed. "You're a prisoner here. You can't walk through the hallways without them." He held them out to her again.

Rey shook her head.

"Do you want to leave this room?"

"Yes," she admitted.

He looked pointedly down at the handcuffs.

"Fine," she conceded, holding her wrists out in front of her. He snapped the restraints into place. She looked up at him and he remembered the last time she stood beside him in handcuffs.

He pushed the memory aside and grabbed her by the upper arm. Rey flinched and shot him an angry look. He loosened his grasp as he opened the door of her room and led her out into the corridor.

The two guards posted outside of her room automatically moved to flank them. Out of the six remaining Knights of Ren, Keira and Jai were the two most loyal to him. They had served him since the destruction of the Jedi Temple years ago. After the recent incident with Hux, they were the only ones he trusted enough to guard her.

"Remain here," he ordered. "I wish to interrogate the prisoner on my own."

The lights came on automatically as they entered the enormous throne room. Kylo reached down to unfasten Rey's handcuffs and they dropped to the floor with a metallic clang. The noise echoed in the empty grandeur of the room. Kylo shut the door behind them.

"Why would you bring me here?" Rey reflexively rubbed her wrists as she looked around at her surroundings. "Am I to admire you while you sit on your throne Supreme Leader?" It was the first time she had ever acknowledged him as such. It sounded wrong coming from her.

"The Regency was commissioned well before Snoke's death. The throne rooms are standard on all of his dreadnought vessels." Kylo activated the release mechanism on his mask and slid it off. With a slight sweeping motion of his hand, he used the Force to open the panels on the large windows surrounding the room. The twinkling lights from distant stars immediately helped to lessen the dreariness of the room.

"The only thing that I use this space for is training. No one will disturb us here." He gestured to the racks on one of the far walls that contained weapons of all shapes and sizes. "I thought you might like to stretch your muscles."

He could sense that she was tempted. Kylo took his gloves off and walked towards her. He set them down with his mask. "Pass me the baby."

Rey carefully untied Hope and unwound her from the fabric. She pulled the baby into a quick hug and nuzzled her neck. The baby made soft noises, vocalizing her happiness.

Rey passed the baby over to him somewhat hesitantly. He took her readily and found that his hold was becoming much less awkward. Hope looked up at him and reached out to pat his face. He felt a brief fluttering in the Force from her as she touched him. Kylo and Rey looked at one another as the baby continued to babble happily.

"Watch her if you put her down," Rey said. "She's started to roll over."

Kylo had no knowledge of infant development. He nodded. He definitely did not want to see Hope accidentally roll off something.

Rey touched the baby's back briefly one last time and then broke into a light jog and started to circle the room. Obviously warming up. She paused at one of the windows.

"Are we orbiting somewhere?" she called out to him.

"Yes," he replied. He didn't elaborate.

She didn't really expect him to and she resumed jogging.

Kylo moved over to the far edge of the room so that they would be out of her running path. With one hand, he unfastened the black cape that he wore and let it billow to the ground beside him. He lowered himself and sat down on the floor with the baby.

He lifted Hope so that she was out in front of him. She was focused on trying to put one of her small fists into her mouth, trying to get as much of it inside as possible. He inhaled her baby smell as he watched her. Warm and milky, it was a scent that he could only associate with her.

 _Hope_. He pushed the word gently into her mind with the Force. She stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. She smiled and her cheeks dimpled. Well that answered the question on whether or not she could receive Force projections. _Hello little one_. Hope reached out again for his face. She blew raspberries as she touched him with slightly damp fingers. He found it impossible not to smile back at her.

He readjusted her so that she was leaning up against him in his lap. He reached over to his cloak that was on the ground beside him. He folded it up to form a makeshift blanket and moved the baby onto it so that she could stretch out fully. She immediately reached for her feet and rolled over to one side.

Rey came to a halt as she jogged up to where they were sitting.

"I'm not sure how I feel about that," she said nodding towards the baby, a little out of breath.

"About what?" He asked following her gaze.

"Her rolling around on your robe and cowl." She said it as though he had placed the baby on something soiled.

"She's fine. It's clean and she's not going to damage it."

"That's not what I have a problem with," she muttered. The baby continued playing with her toes, surrounded by an ocean of black.

Rey finished up stretching and looked over to him. "Spar with me," she challenged.

"No," Kylo said reasonably. "That's not a good idea." He nodded towards the baby. "Do you really think she should watch as her parents try to kill one another?"

"We'll only spar until one of us yields. Come on, I need a partner."

"What about the baby?"

"We're right here in the room with her. She'll be fine. We're not actually going to try and kill one another. Besides, you didn't bring your lightsaber." Rey reached into the pocket of her tunic and brought out Hope's small wooden toy. She leaned over and passed it to the baby.

Hope kicked her legs excitedly as she waved the toy in the air.

"Until one of us yields?" Kylo asked, still hesitating.

She nodded. Kylo watched as she pulled her hair back from her face and secured it with a leather strap that was originally tied around her wrist. Before he even realized what was happening, she loosened the drawstring on her tunic, yanked it over her head and tossed it to the side. She was left only wearing her leggings and a thin fabric band binding her breasts.

Kylo knew she hadn't meant for the movement to be sensual but he couldn't help but imagine it that way. He quickly schooled his thoughts in another direction.

She walked over to the weapons and selected a quarterstaff similar to the one she was used to carrying. Of course.

Kylo stood up and walked over to select his weapon. He chose a simple wooden sword. Similar in length to his lightsaber when it was activated. It had a blunt edge, appropriate for training purposes. He nodded to her and they moved to the center of the room.

Slowly they began to circle one another. Each waiting for the other to make a move; both of them trying to read the intentions of the other. Kylo decided to strike first. Lunging at Rey he managed to graze her arm before she spun backwards out of range. He immediately attacked again but she pivoted on one foot, catching his leg and arm simultaneously with her staff.

Kylo brought his sword down heavily on her staff and he tried to force her to her knees. He may have been stronger but Rey was faster. She used leverage to her advantage and managed to duck out from under him.

For many minutes they sparred, until they were both tired and out of breath. Neither was able to gain a true advantage. In a surprise move, Kylo threw himself at Rey and it necessitated her to back up against one of the walls. He had her cornered. He waited to see what she was going to do.

 _Yield Jedi._ He was surprised how easy it was to push the words into her mind. Their close proximately must have strengthened the bond between them.

 _No_. Her voice echoed in his mind. Absolute in its certainty.

She smiled and with strength assisted by the Force she broke the quarterstaff cleanly in half. He looked at her in surprise and she came at him brandishing both halves. She yelled loudly as she made contact with his sword. He was able to block the majority of her blows and out of sheer luck was able to knock one of the shortened staffs to the ground.

He charged at her, dropping his weapon and grabbing on to her wrists. His momentum caused her to drop the other half of the staff she was holding and she lost her footing as she backed away from him. She stumbled over her discarded weapon and pulled them both to the floor.

They hit the ground roughly. He landed lying on top of her, still holding on to her wrists. They were both breathing heavily. She was unable to move, his considerable weight pinning her securely.

"Yield," he demanded out loud this time, leaning his head towards her. He was so close that they shared a breath. She said nothing but relaxed underneath him. He became acutely aware of exactly how close they were to one another. She was flushed with exertion, her skin hot. The top half of her was bare except for the thin scrap of material circling her breasts. Embarrassingly, he hardened against her.

Time seemed to slow as they stared at one another. Rey tilted her head towards him. "You told me once that you could just take what you wanted from me."

She shifted closer to him, pushing her pelvis against his erection. "We both know what you want. Why haven't you taken it?"

His breathing quickened and he flipped them over so she was lying on top of him. He released the hold he had on her wrists and she brought her hands up to rest just below his shoulder blades.

She pushed herself up so that she was sitting astride him. He brought his hands to rest on the side of her hips but his hold was gentle, allowing her the option to move if she wanted to.

"No," he said quietly. "Not unless it was offered freely."

"I wish you would," she said bitterly, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Against your will? Why would you wish for that?" Kylo was confused.

"Because it would be easier if you did," she said, pushing down on his chest in frustration. "Then maybe I could hate you."

He pulled her against him and sat up with her straddling his legs. He touched his forehead to hers and rested there for a moment.

"I yield," he said, trailing his fingers along her hips as he gently pushed her off of him.


	6. Chapter 6

Kylo adjusted his cape, fastening it back onto his uniform. It smelled faintly of the baby.

"Can you carry her?" Rey held out the squirming baby for him to pick up. "I'm all sweaty so I don't want to put her back in the wrap. Plus I'm feeling a bit light headed. I must be more out of shape than I thought."

Kylo skimmed his eyes quickly over her taut figure. She was far from out of shape. He nodded though and scooped the baby up from her arms. Hope babbled and nuzzled into his chest.

Rey paused to watch them for a moment. "I think she's starting to recognize you."

He looked down at the baby and Hope smiled back at him. The baby was clearly trying to engage with him.

Rey tied her tunic around her waist and walked over to where the handcuffs were previously abandoned on the floor. She picked them up and began to twirl them absently. She walked over to the front of the room where the throne was located. An ostentatious marble monstrosity obviously not designed for comfort but rather intimidation. It was built raised up from the floor so that the person sitting on it would seem that much larger.

She ran her fingers along the smooth edges framing the seat. The marble felt cold and solid against her touch.

"I could have another one made for you," he said, only half kidding.

His voice snapped her out of her reverie. She rolled her eyes as she walked back towards him. "No thank you."

"Let's go," Kylo said wincing as he gently untangled Hope's hand from his hair.

Rey gave him a small smile. "You'll be wearing your hair pulled back soon," she said knowingly.

Rey stopped walking, grimaced slightly and touched her fingers to the side of her forehead.

Kylo paused to look at her. Her eyes were glassy and she seemed to be having trouble standing.

"Are you okay?" He asked. He took a step towards her. Her face was flushed and she was breathing rapidly even though she should have long since recovered from her exertion. For the second time, the handcuffs dropped from her hands.

"My head hurts and I'm really warm all of a sudden. I think I need to sit down for a minute." Rey lowered herself so that she was kneeling on the floor. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.

Kylo shifted the baby to one arm and reached down to touch Rey's face. She was burning up. No wonder she said she felt warm.

Kylo rushed to the panel by the door and pressed the intercom button. He screamed at the electronic voice that answered to summon a medical team to their location and then hurried back to Rey. She had slumped further down and was resting her head against her knees.

Hope, as if sensing her mother's distress started to cry against his chest. He rocked the baby gently in his arms while making a shushing sound. Hope's sobs turned into soft hiccups and she snuggled closer to him. It was oddly reassuring.

It wasn't long before the door to the throne room opened and a medical officer and a half dozen specialized droids quickly approached. Kylo moved off to the side to let the team do their job. Rey was lifted onto a gurney.

"Ben..." Rey's eyes searched for him. She was scared. Reluctant to let them touch her.

"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." He moved where she could see him more clearly from her vantage point. She relaxed and let them continue with their examination.

After a number of tests the chief medical officer approached Kylo.

"Supreme Leader. The girl seems to have contracted Corellian Fever. She most likely brought it onto the ship with her. It can stay dormant in the body for sometime before displaying symptoms. I've administered antipyretics and given her medication that will help her body fight the virus. I've also given her something to make her go to sleep. Sleeping will help keep her fever down for the next few hours while the medication starts working. With treatment she should fully recover in the next couple of days."

"Is she contagious? What about the baby?"

"We can administer a vaccine to you and the child that will prevent you from getting sick."

Kylo looked at the baby who had fallen asleep in his arms while they were waiting for Rey to be examined. "Do it." Medical droids quickly moved into action inoculating the two of them. Hope stirred briefly during her vaccination but quickly settled back into her slumber.

"We can transport the prisoner to the medical bay," the officer said practically.

"No. Bring her to my quarters. She can recover there." Kylo could only imagine what the medical officer was thinking considering the half dressed and disheveled state Rey was currently in. Kylo didn't care though. He couldn't risk Rey's safety by leaving her alone in the medical bay.

The droids busied themselves preparing Rey for transfer. Kylo paced beside them holding Hope close.

The medical officer looked at the baby skeptically. "What about the child? Should we arrange for her care?"

"No. She stays with her mother," Kylo said harshly.

—

"Now what should we do little Jedi?" Kylo didn't really know how to talk to the baby. He tried to imitate the singsong voice that Rey used when she spoke to her. He sounded nothing like Rey but the baby didn't seem to mind. She gurgled happily while sitting on his lap. She was playing with a plastic teething ring. Her and her mother's belongings were sitting in a basket at his feet. He had everything brought up from where they were staying. He's not sure where the infant crib was appropriated from but it was portable and brought to him made up with fresh linens. He wished he had thought of offering it to Rey to use prior to now.

He was actually fairly proud of himself. Throughout the day he had managed to change the baby's soiled underclothes and feed her bottles of infant formula that were brought up to him from the kitchen. Hope didn't look quite as tidy as when Rey was caring for her but she seemed content.

Rey was currently sleeping in his bedroom. The physician told him that she would most likely be asleep until the morning. He hadn't really thought about the logistics when he told the medical staff to bring her to his rooms. His apartment was originally designed for Supreme Leader Snoke. It was large and consisted of a bedroom, living room and bathroom. He didn't have a lot of personal belongings. He had never found much use for them. Service droids would simply bring him what he asked for in terms of food and clothing. On the whole the apartment was dark and impersonal.

Eventually the baby became bored with the toy she was holding and started to fuss. She dropped the ring and rubbed her face back and forth against his chest. She started to cry gently. He stood up with her and tried rocking her like he did earlier in the day. He walked over to dim the apartment lights and before long the baby stopped fussing and was asleep in his arms. He couldn't resist the urge to brush his lips gently against the curls that were matted on her forehead before setting her down in the crib. He moved the small bed next to the couch and tried his best to fit his large frame mostly on the cushions.

He's not sure how long he slept before he was woken up by the sound of the baby crying. He glanced at the clock. It was still the middle of the night. He gently lifted the baby out of her crib. She took one look at him and started to cry even harder. He took a bottle out of the thermo pouch that he had left on the table. Hope refused to even try drinking from it. Her stubbornness reminded him of her mother. He decided to try and change her diaper to see if that was what was bothering her. Even after she was clean and dry she still sobbed against him. He was at a loss. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

He walked in circles around the living room carrying the screaming baby for what seemed like forever. He was sure Hope's crying would wake up her mother. He decided to check on Rey to see if by some small chance she had woken up and would be able to offer any assistance. He didn't want to bother her while she was recovering but he had to admit he didn't know what to do.

He opened the door and walked over to his bed. Rey was still resting peacefully. The baby's cries were not waking her. The medication she was given must have been strong enough to block them all out. He placed the screaming baby next to Rey while he contemplated what to do.

The baby immediately stopped crying. She turned her face towards her mother and promptly started to close her eyes. Kylo couldn't believe it. He was worried about leaving her on the bed next to Rey but he didn't want to risk waking her up if he moved her. Rey had said she was rolling over now. He wasn't sure if she could roll all the way to the edge of the mattress but he didn't want to take the chance. He gingerly lowered himself so that he was lying on the edge of the bed next to the baby. It was easily large enough to accommodate the three of them. Kylo closed his eyes. He felt an overwhelming sense of peace just lying next to them.

For the first time he wished that sleep wouldn't come. 

—


End file.
